The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding has been allocated to the Illegal Money Lending Units over the next three years.
Nick Boles
A decision on funding allocations for the Illegal Money Lending teams will be taken shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 19047, what discussions he has had with the Office for Budget Responsibility on including the potential effect of recent Conservative Party manifesto commitments in its forecasting of economic growth.
Harriett Baldwin
The economy forecast produced by the OBR reflects current Government policy. As laid out in the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011, ‘Where any Government policies are relevant to the performance of that duty, the Office – must have regard to those policies, but may not consider what the effect of any alternative policies would be.’ The OBR note as risks to the fiscal forecast any significant policy commitments that are not quantifiable.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what organisations he has met to discuss the introduction of the capping of housing benefit for tenants in supported housing at the local rate of local housing allowance.
Damian Hinds
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel The lead department for this measure, the Department for Work and Pensions, has regular meetings with relevant organisations and will meet with them to discuss how the application of local housing allowance rates to social sector tenants, including those living in supported housing, will work as the policy is developed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to enable his Department’s child tax credit department to answer the enquiries of hon. Members electronically.
Mr David Gauke
The use of standard email is insecure and therefore in order to protect customers’ information, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not use it when dealing with sensitive personal and financial information. However, HMRC does answer MPs enquiries electronically in cases where the response does not include any sensitive customer data.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority on that body’s decision not to undertake its planned review of banking culture.
Harriett Baldwin
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is an independent regulator. Treasury Ministers had no discussions with the chairman before the FCA announced the decision to discontinue the review of banking culture included in the 2015-16 Business Plan. The FCA has set out in its published response to a Freedom of Information request, the dates when it communicated its decision to discontinue this review to other organisations. This response is available on the FCA website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2015 to Question 17211, how much revenue has been recovered by actively targeting operational and intelligence activity to tackle the issues of online VAT fraud in the last six months.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is actively targeting operational and intelligence activity, as well as a range of other options, to tackle this issue. The work is ongoing and therefore the information requested is only available at disproportionate cost. As part of the approach to tackling this particular type of tax evasion HMRC launched the e-marketplace campaign, the results of which are available on gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much correspondence the child tax credits enquiry department receives by fax each day.
Damian Hinds
We do not hold information on the number of faxes received on child tax credits within HMRC.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies (i) have been abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent since 2010 and (ii) will be abolished in or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent by 2020.
Harriett Baldwin
No jobs within HM Treasury, Office for Budget Responsibility , Government Internal Audit Agency, Debt Management Office and Government Actuaries Department have been abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent since 2010 and there are currently no plans for any to be abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent by 2020.
As announced in November 2015, HM Revenue and Customs plans to close Blackburn House in Stoke-on-Trent in 2019/20. The 256 posts currently in Stoke will transfer to new regional centres and the Department has committed to working with its staff to ensure that as many of those who do want to continue working for HMRC will be able to do so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide a list of all the departments within HM Treasury.
Harriett Baldwin
Treasury Group – Bodies can be found in the published Report and Accounts. The latest Annual Report and accounts for 2014-15 is published on line and can be viewed in the link below:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many illegal money lenders Illegal Money Lending Units prevented from operating in 2015.
Nick Boles
According to the National Trading Standards Annual report 2014/15, the England and Wales illegal money lending teams commenced 365 operations into 756 suspected money lenders in 2014/15.
In the same period 42 individuals were charged or had proceedings instituted against them for illegal money lending in England and Wales. Trading Standards Scotland referred a further 9 individuals to the Procurator Fiscal for illegal money lending in 2014/15.